Agencies & businesses call for responsible ATV use

ISLAND PARK – The number of All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) users has passed the 100,000 mark in Idaho, and Island Park is one of the state’s most popular riding areas. Officials with the the Idaho Department of Fish & Game (IDFG) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced this week that the agencies will be out on the ground and in the air for the remainder of the hunting season to insure that motorized users obey forest and IDFG regulations. They will focus on preventing habitat damage, disruption of hunters, and on minimizing disturbances to wildlife.

The Ashton/Island Park Ranger District is seeking public input on motorized recreation and its impact on the area’s natural resources and roads.

Tania Phillips, co-owner of Mountain Mayhem with her husband, Kevin, said she is concerned that some people who are critical of motorized recreation blame ATV rental businesses when there is negative news about illegal ATV riding. She said businesses like theirs, that serve ATV riders (and snowmobilers and boaters), are conscientious about showing customers where they can legally ride, and where ATV’s are not allowed.

“We try to inform our clients to be respectful and obey the laws, for if they don't, it has a huge impact our our business and livelihood. Do you know how many ATV's are rented up here between the three businesses — Island Park Adventures, High Mountain and us? Only 25, and of the five we own, not one day this summer were all five rented. When our renters do go out, we supply them with the accurate maps and explain in depth where they can or can't ride. I am terribly frustrated that some area residents think it's the rental agencies that are the problem. Island Park is famous for its diverse recreation and I'm not sure of the numbers, but most cabin owners up here do own ATV's. When people come camping, they bring their own. I am so worried about all these closures, both snowmobile and ATV,” Phillips said.

To help raise awareness about the importance of ATVs staying on trails, five state and federal agencies in Idaho are part of a statewide campaign called the Idaho Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) Public Outreach Campaign. The campaign encourages riders to ride safely and responsibly and to reduce their impact on the land and other trail users.

The Campaign recently unveiled an interactive Web site, stayontrails.com. It includes safety tips and educational information for ATV riders, plus trail descriptions and maps to 25 ATV trails statewide.

“The new StayonTrails Web site should be a great resource for Idaho residents and visitors who ride ATVs and are looking for detailed information on where to ride in Idaho’s mountains, canyons, and high desert,” said Steve Stuebner, public relations coordinator for the state-federal interagency committee that oversees the campaign.

Caribou-Targhee National Forest officials want people to give feedback and suggestions regarding these questions:

What Areas F and D on the forest’s Travel Map do you use and what activities (motorized or nonmotorized) do you participate in?

If it is possible, how should existing Area F and D be modified to provide a safe motorized and or non-motorized trail system while not exceeding motorized route densities?

Should certain county maintained roads allow ATV use (dual use)?

Is it possible to develop viable loop trails for motorized use – and where should they be located?

What other considerations should we include?

Send your comments to: Ashton/Island Park Ranger District, P.O. Box 858, Ashton, ID. 84320; Call 208. 652.7442; Fax 208.652.7863. E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Our country’s national forests are managed for multiple use, so a variety of uses and users should be able to coexist together, say agency officials — if all rules and regulations are followed. Because the variety of motorized recreation options continues to expand and many users are new to the mechanized realm, plenty of opportunities exist to educate the public.

IDFG officials ask forest users with OHVs that are planning to hunt upland and big game to review page 68 of the current big game hunting regulations. Obtaining a forest travel plan from a local forest service office is also important.

Roads, Trails, Motor Vehicles, & Wildlife: What you need to know (fish & Game regs, page 68):

Motor vehicles, from pickups and SUVs to motorcycles and ATVs, have changed hunting and some of those changes have created challenges for hunters, land managers and wildlife. Consider the following:

• Roads that are open to motor vehicles increase access into big game habitat and as a result the number of hunters increases. Generally, the number of hunters in an area is directly related to the number of roads.
• The combination of more hunters and their increased mobility in roaded areas increases the vulnerability of deer and elk to harvest. Deer and elk in a heavily roaded area are more likely to be killed during the hunting season, and for that reason these areas have fewer old bulls or bucks. It also means that hunting seasons have to be shorter and more restrictive to prevent over harvest.
• Research shows that slow moving vehicles on primitive roads and trails are more disturbing to elk than fast moving vehicles on highways. Slow moving vehicles traveling cross-country have the same effect. Deer and elk often flee from the sound of motor vehicles and may leave the area.
• The number of ATVs in Idaho has increased fivefold since 1994; in 2005 more than 90,000 off-highway vehicles were registered in the state. Most people who own ATVs use them for hunting.
• Conflicts occur where ATVs have increased access into areas that were lightly used in the past. Conflicts also occur because some people select areas closed to motor vehicles for hunting and are upset when these rules are violated by others.
• Cross-country travel with motor vehicles can create a network of new travel ways that cause erosion, spread noxious weeds, and damage fish and wildlife habitats. Much of this cross-country travel occurs during the hunting season. To reduce these impacts, Idaho’s land and wildlife managers ask all hunters using motorized vehicles to stay on roads and trails and use designated routes where they are established. Do not travel crosscountry with a motor vehicle.

Look for Designated Routes on Public Lands

• The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have already established designated routes in several areas of Idaho. Please pay attention to the travel system in the areas you hunt.

For more information about travel management on Idaho’s Federal lands, contact these offices or Web sites:

• U.S. Forest Service 208.373.4007; Web site: fs.fed.us.
• Bureau of Land Management 1.888.246.7523 or 208.373.4000 or Web site: id.blm.gov.

Access management helps wildlife and hunters. Please observe established road closures and access restrictions.

Report road closure violations by calling 1.800.632.5999, or any Idaho Fish and Game, BLM or U.S. Forest Service office.

Idaho’s Motorized Vehicle Restriction

Wisely managing roads, trails and motor vehicles will:

• Yield more old bucks and bulls.
• Permit more hunting opportunity.
• Allow longer seasons.
• Decrease erosion.
• Reduce conflicts.
• Reduce damage to habitat and the spread of noxious weeds.

Best of all, it will make hunting better. Remember!

• Observe road closures and access restrictions.
• Say no to cross-country travel.
• Stay on roads and trails open to motorized travel.
• Use designated routes where they’re established.
• Follow Idaho’s Motorized Vehicle Restriction Rule.

Motorized Vehicle Restriction Rule

The Fish and Game Commission has adopted motor vehicle use restrictions while hunting big game and upland game to resolve many hunters’ concerns about off-road travel.

The restricted units are: 29, 30, 30A, 32, 32A, 36A, 37, 37A, 39 (muzzleloader), 45, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 52A (muzzleloader), 53, 56, 57, 58, 59, 59A, 66, 69, 70, 72 (late season), 73, 75, 77, and 78.

Motorized Vehicle Use Restrictions.

The use of motorized vehicles by hunters as an aid to hunting big game and upland game animals is restricted in certain areas. This use restriction is in addition to all federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations, ordinances and orders; including, but not limited to, any motorized vehicle licensing, registration, and permitting requirements and traffic laws. Hunters must comply with all motorized vehicle limits or prohibitions instituted by the landowner or land manager. Also, this use restriction rule is not an exception from, and is in addition to, the statutory prohibition against hunting from or by the use of any motorized vehicle set forth in Idaho Code Section 36-1101(b)(1).

Since not all forest users and sportsmen may have the chance to make contact with agency personnel in person, the following phone numbers are being provided for those who seek more information, such as maps where ATV riding is allowed:

Caribou-Targhee National Forest

Ashton/Island Park Ranger District - 652.7442 (Ashton); 558.7301 (Island Park)

Dubois Ranger District - 374.5422

Montpelier Ranger District - 847-0375

Palisades Ranger District - 523.1412

Soda Springs Ranger District - 547.4356

Teton Basin Ranger District - 354.2312

Westside Ranger District - 236.7500

Idaho Department of Fish & Game

525.7290 (Idaho Falls)

232.4703 (Pocatello)

The IDFG Web site: fishandgame.idaho.gov and the USFS Web site: fs.fed.us/r4/cariboutarghee have sections pertaining to use of ATVs.

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Source:  http://www.islandparknews.com/atf.php?sid=7181¤t_edition=2009-09-24

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